Power posing, and what is it?

It’s a confidence-building technique used by some of the most successful people on the planet!

There’s even a TED Talk all about it — led by body language specialist, Amy Cuddy.

In her TED Talk, she pointed out how ‘low’ power poses (like hunching your shoulders, folding in your arms, crossing your legs) can often lower self-worth and increase feelings of stress…

Whereas practicing ‘high’ power poses (like standing up tall and taking up space) can help you instantly feel more self-assured and assertive.

And if this is sounding a bit ‘woo woo’ to you — there’s actually a science to back it up.

See, Cuddy and her team conducted a study to put high vs. low power poses to the test.

First, they measured 42 volunteers’ testosterone levels (the “dominance” hormone) and their cortisol levels (the “stress” hormone”).

And then, each volunteer was asked to hold either a low or high power pose for 2 minutes.

Once the 2 minutes were up, they retested their testosterone and cortisol levels, and amazingly:

High power poses increased testosterone by 20% and decreased cortisol levels by 25%!

So how do you do it?

It’s an easy trick that can instantly boost your mood, self-confidence, and outlook for the rest of the day...

And the best part is — it takes seconds. Ready?

First step: Head over to your closest full-length mirror.

Step two: Put your hands on your hips, roll your shoulders back, puff out your chest a bit, and hold your chin up high.

Step three: Take a deep breath — and on your exhale, say one thing you love about yourself out loud.

Did you feel your mood shift?

I know I do when I stand in a power pose, and you know what my clients love the images of their power poses too!! Below are so examples of some power poses tweaked for Boudoir, the clients loved how these came out too.

7 Tips for Building Confidence and Self-esteem

Self-confidence is tricky to master, and many of us don’t have it. Lack of confidence can arise from things like fears, being unsure about what you believe, or feeling like you are not good enough at something. All these are issues people go through every day.

Not being confident in oneself arises from self-limitations, fear, and self-doubts. The only way to beat these problems is to change your mental attitude and build your self-esteem.

Here are some tips:

  1. Overcome your self-limiting beliefs to build self-esteem:

Kids are typically enthusiastic and confident. But then doubt sets in as they transition into adulthood. To build confidence is to push past these self-limiting beliefs. Expose yourself to uncomfortable situations to find your limits. Once you get used to such things, you will see what your boundaries are self-imposed and what you can accomplish is unlimited.

2. To Boost Confidence, Accept your Memories are not Always Accurate:

Our brain is selective, and creates biased memories, so, not everything you remember is a representation of facts. Start to accept this and revisit self-limiting memories, to get a correct perspective. It could be a lie you tell yourself about success or a wrong assumption about how people see you.

3. Practice Positive Self-Talk to Improve your Self-Image:

We say an average of 1000 words every minute to ourselves. Though it may seem absurd, talking to yourself is very beneficial. It improves memory, helps manage stress, builds self-respect, and boosts positive self-esteem. Strengthening your self-perception by speaking positively to yourself can also influence your neurobiological responses. See problems as challenges that you can overcome.

4. Beat Negative Bias with a Positive Mindset and Self-confidence:

We all have a natural negativity bias that keeps us safe from danger. To overcome look for the good stuff. For every negative thought, come up with 5 positive ones. Allow each positive thought to linger for 20 seconds before the next. Recognize both good and bad feelings. Don’t ignore or support your negative emotions, even if it is easier to do than to address them. Acknowledge and move on.

5. Work on Self- Doubts

Low self-esteem leads to doubts and a victim mentality.-feeling like your life is at the mercy of everyone else but you. No one is stopping except you so, get real and assess where you have doubts and break those walls down.

6. Conquer Your Fears-

fear comes from not being in control, when you are not in control you feel scared. When you hold a level of command over something the fear fades away. Denial or avoidance does not overcome it. Fear is emotional, not rational.

7. Be More Curious-

Curiosity is a must-have for anyone who wants to be successful and confidant in themselves. Being curious means that you are observant of the world around you, willing to learn, and open to new experiences. A curious person can achieve life-long growth and development.

I know when I implement these into my life, my view looks better, my world is brighter and less scary. Self-esteem and Self- confidence have one thing in common the self!!! So, invest some time into you today.

Confidence Hacks for Everyday.

“You can’t be half brave. You can’t fly on the ground. You have to shift from ‘should’ or ‘someday’ or ‘going to’ and do something.” — Chris Brogan
— https://www.liveyourmessage.com/business-quotes-for-entrepreneurs?inf_contact_key=ececd9ae150a893c13c2f2c1a6c0f69fd18a532c4142cb79caf2b269de1401fa
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7 tips to boost your confidence right now

  1. Visualize yourself as you want to be, not how you are. I know sounds easy, but takes daily practice, it gets easier as it becomes part of your routine.

  2. Affirm yourself- I know sounds cheesy, but it works. Say nice things to yourself, about yourself, use affirmations daily, this works but over time, if you come from a more toxic or trauma background this can take years but it’s worth it and so are you!!!

  3. Do one thing that scares you regularly work up to daily, start with monthly, then weekly, and keep working up to daily from there. Baby steps, and progress over perfection!!

  4. Question your inner Critic, always!!! She or he may have valid points, but that doesn’t always make them right. What are other possibilities?

  5. Set yourself up to win with small tasks that make an impact, like making your bed when you get up everyday, getting dressed, doing hair or makeup, give yourself credit for those small tasks, and those big tasks like going to work, paying off debt, baby steps here work up to the big stuff.

  6. Help someone else, whether it’s holding a door open, helping that old lady with her groceries, or giving that vet and his pup some food and a few bucks when they needed it. Pay for the car behind yours coffee, pay it forward, somehow some way do something for some else too. The act of giving allows both the giver and receiver to gain a bit of goodness.

  7. Last but not least, though probably the most important one of all : CARE FOR YOURSELF!! Just like on a plane if you don’t have your oxygen mask on you can’t really help others for too long, so make sure to take the time you need, the space you need, and give your body, mind and soul some really amazing care as well, whatever that looks like for you. Do you!!!

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